Practices give repeat/peak Performance; but Breakthroughs come only when same are broken!

Good practices are great to give repeat and consistent performance. But these by themselves cannot enable breakthroughs or innovations to improvise further. If that was to happen, you would have already got those! If you think that laid-down “practices and processes” alone would give you best results at all times to come; it may be your pipe dream!

Progressive approach and attitude demand that unless old order is abandoned, a new and better one cannot be ushered in. Individuals, professionals and companies not doing this would get out of sync with trends and times, get in peril or even perish!

Proven Practices needed for Peak Performance!

It is important to evolve and establish practices and processes in any organization or institution. Then, these have to be implemented to check that same work and deliver results or else need to be modified, until these become proven.

Thereafter, the performance can be driven to the peak, since:

Everyone has clarity of direction.

Coherence and consistency are driven automatically across organization.

It fosters team spirit.

It encourages disciplined approach.

It builds up experience and expertise in optimum time.

So far so good and performance of individuals, groups or organization would reach a peak. You can sustain this peak for a period – I would term it as an optimum time, beyond which trouble would start to stare at you!

Peak Performance is also a starting point of Problems!

Beyond peak, where do you go? You can only go down! This is true to happen, if an organization has peaked its performance with given set of practices and processes.

Organization tends to become sluggish, lose its momentum and lean character!

Therefore, proven practices are good till we reach a peak or steady state; beyond that these would bring issues and ills!

Break proven practices to reach another peak!

Practices or processes invariably have 2 parts – one which has no alternative or option. Evaluate this part very carefully and once satisfied that there is truly no alternative, retain it. Then, we are left with second part, which has to be broken, given up or relinquished, especially after peak performance has been attained. We need courage to do this!

It is rule of nature that –

“Every system has 2 sections – one with no alternative; so discover and retain it. The other one has an alternative; so relinquish it, especially after peak has been attained”.

If we follow the above rule, we would see the path to another peak opening up!

Reason for which you relinquish becomes source of your renaissance

This is the secret behind from where “the source of new ideas, inspiration and innovation in most people” comes in. Reason for which you relinquish certain things that you have been doing or living with, becomes the focal point of your revival, redefinition, rediscovery, rejuvenation, restructuring or resurgence!

If we look at emergence of famous leaders and legends, we would find that this is true; examples – Mahatma Gandhi, Steve Jobs and several others.

Therefore:

Breakthrough in your business or profession or pursuits would come, if you break away from that part of current practices and processes, you don’t need to retain.

You can best discover or design a new product, when you genuinely decide to drop existing one.

You can cope-up with new challenges, if you do not cling to old customs and traditions, which are not indispensable.

You can’t innovate, unless you renovate your current practices and procedures.

You can’t discover truths, unless you discard myths on which your beliefs hinge.

So, the game needs to change, when you reach steady state or peak with your current perspective.

The reason, for which you need to break prevailing practices, also becomes reason for your breakthrough!

That’s true, beyond peak, you can only go down… but there’s a possibility of remaining at peak (for a substantial period of time) if one follows those numerous ways you’ve been publishing in your earlier posts.

I think I now understand why people ‘shift’ or bring changes in their lives after reaching at a peak – it’s obvious!!

Having agreed to your post, I would like to reveal that I’ve been a firm believer in the saying which is – “Everything in this world has an alternative”. If you can’t achieve something in one way, twist the way and you will be there. So I would definitely like to get clarified by you here if I’ve gone horribly wrong… 😀

As regards your belief that everything in this world has an alternative; I am not sure about that. One can always explore, only if he/she is not genuinely happy with the things that you have. It is possible that you find an alternative; but it would also be very much possible that you find something new and different and then you don’t need the older one.

Another point, everything may not have an alternative; but has an opposite!